NBA Playoffs 2012: 5 Keys to Game 5 of the 76ers-Celtics Series

Following a thrilling Game 4 comeback, the Philadelphia 76ers head back to Boston for Game 5 on Monday night tied 2-2 in the series.

The Celtics had the Sixers on the ropes early, opening the game with a 14-0 run (in Philly, mind you) and closing the first half with a 15-point advantage.

But the Celtics offense went cold. Andre Iguodala, Evan Turner and Lou Williams got hot. And soon enough, the near impossible unfolded right before the eyes of 20,000 screaming Philadelphia fans.

What's at stake in Monday's Game 5? Oh, only a 3-2 series advantage, which could be especially dangerous for a Sixers team heading back to Philadelphia for Game 6.

Can the Celtics mentally recover from Game 4? Can Philly carry its second-half momentum from Game 4 up to Boston?

Here are five things to keep an eye on during Game 5 of the Sixers-Celtics series.

1. The Rebounding Advantage

Going into this series, the Celtics knew they had to limit Philadelphia's young players to one possession each trip down the court if they had any chance of surviving.

The Sixers are averaging just under 2.5 more rebounds than the Celtics in this series, stemming entirely from the disparity on the offensive glass. The Sixers have averaged nearly 12 offensive boards a game this series, while the Celtics have averaged just under seven.

In Game 4, the Sixers held a 52-38 advantage on the glass overall, with 17 offensive rebounds compared to Boston's five.

For a Sixers team that ranked nearly dead-last in pace in the regular season this year, according to HoopData, all of those extra possessions turned out to be a killer for the C's.

In every game this series, the team that's held the rebounding advantage at the end of the night has emerged victorious. If the Sixers can stay aggressive on the offensive glass, they've got a real chance to steal Game 5 from the Celtics.

2. Curbing Turnovers

Boston coach Doc Rivers called it coming into the series, saying the one thing his team absolutely couldn't do was give the Sixers easy turnovers, which often turn into easy fast-break buckets for this young team.

The 76ers averaged a league-low 11.2 turnovers in the regular season, so Rivers knew that his team likely wouldn't be able to rely on transition offense to carry it in this series. On the other hand, his Celtics ranked in the bottom half of the league (17th overall) with nearly 15 giveaways a game, a real cause for concern if you're a Boston fan.

In Game 4, the Celtics fell right into the Sixers' defensive trap, finishing the game with 17 turnovers. The Sixers had four giveaways in the first six minutes, falling into a 20-5 deficit, but only turned it over seven more times in the final 42 minutes.

When the Sixers stopped coughing up the ball so much, it gave them a chance to finally establish some offensive rhythm in the second half. You know, right when the Celtics started falling apart with their ball security.

The Sixers need to aim to keep their turnovers within single digits while aiming to force 15-20 giveaways from the Celtics to steal Game 5 from Boston.

3. Lavoy Allen vs. Kevin Garnett

In the first three games of the series against the Sixers, the Celtics' Kevin Garnett, who just turned 36 this past Saturday, averaged 23.7 points, 12 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and a steal per game.

Just take that in for a minute.

No matter how wide open Spencer Hawes may repeatedly be leaving Garnett in this series, a 36-year-old man should not be able to put up those type of numbers in three straight playoff games.

But in Game 4, Garnett finally showed his human side, with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting, 11 rebounds and seven turnovers. Rivers also played Garnett for 40 minutes in Game 4, knowing he'd have two days of rest before Game 5.

Lavoy Allen, the Sixers' unheralded second-round draft pick this year from Temple, has done a more-than-admirable job defensively on Garnett this series, never more evident than in Game 4.

Fun fact, via NBA StatsCube: In the 67 minutes Allen's been on the court with K.G. in this series, Garnett's only averaged 12.9 points on 43 percent shooting. With Allen on the bench? 26.5 points on 63 percent shooting. (Spencer Hawes, everybody!)

Allen can't pick up three quick fouls in Game 5 like he did in Game 3, or it's going to be a never-ending parade of K.G. mid-range jumpers for the Celtics.

He'll need to stay out of foul trouble and keep Garnett (relatively) in check for the Sixers to stand a chance on Monday.

4. Bench Scoring

Can Ray Allen bail out the Celtics with a "Ray Allen" game despite the bone spurs in his right ankle?

Through four games, the Sixers have done a relatively solid job, all things considered, limiting Allen's offensive impact. He dropped 17 points in the Celtics' Game 2 loss to the Sixers and scored 12 points in the Celtics' opening win, but he combined for only eight points in Games 3 and 4.

With Garnett suddenly deciding to show his human side in Game 4, the Celtics needed Allen or another member of the bench to step up. Instead, the Sixers bench outscored the Celtics reserves, 44-12.

The Celtics haven't gotten much offense out of their bench this series besides from Allen or Mickael Pietrus, who's splashed down six of the 13 three-pointers he's taken against Philly after only hitting two in six games against the Atlanta Hawks in the opening round.

All year, the Sixers bench has been one of the team's greatest assets, bailing the starters out of sticky situations time and time again. It'll need to get going offensively in Boston if the Sixers stand any chance in Game 5.

In the two games in Boston this series, the Sixers bench has averaged 27.5 points per game. In the two games in Philly (albeit including the Game 3 blowout)? It averaged 49.5 PPG.

The Sixers realistically should be hoping for 35-40 points from their bench in Game 5 to give their starters some offensive breathing room.

5. Andre Iguodala: Philly's Crunch-Time Solution?

Tom Sunnergren of TrueHoop's Philadunkia said it best (via ESPN.com): "Andre Iguodala, whose relationship with the Sixers' fan base generally oscillates between 'uneasy' and 'contentious,' is mending fences this postseason."

First, in the closing seconds of Game 6 against the Chicago Bulls in the opening round, Iguodala beat Omer Asik to a critical rebound, drove down the floor to draw a foul and calmly drained the series-clinching free throws to give the Sixers their first playoff series win since 2003.

In Game 4, he may have managed to one-up himself.

He drained a three-pointer with just over three minutes left to tie the game at 79, hit a go-ahead 17-foot jumper with just over a minute remaining and finished the Celtics off with a back-breaker of a three-pointer with 36 seconds left, giving the Sixers a five-point lead they wouldn't relinquish.

For the record: Iguodala's a 33 percent shooter from deep for his career. He shot (by far) a career-high 39.4 percent from downtown this season, but let's be honest: Who didn't scream "No, Iggy!" when he lined up for that late three-pointer in Game 4?

If Iguodala's suddenly clutch play continues into Game 5, the Sixers may finally have an answer to the question that perplexed them all season: Who can they rely on offensively in late-game situations?